Spring Is a Fickle Thing

Spring is such a fickle thing.

One day it’s beautiful, gorgeous -- almost like Summer.

The next day it’s as if Winter never went away.

Will Summer never come?

But it always does.

Thank God.

Hey, I love all the seasons. But I admit there are three that I love the most.

Let’s just say my Winter Love is not as deep. But after more than 70 years of Life, I don’t fear or loathe any season of the year anymore.

Because every day – especially now for me – is precious.

When I was younger, I always yearned for Spring. Growing up in the Midwest, Winters could be very long. And very harsh. And very gray.

And did I mention….long?

But finally, those first hints of Spring arrive: Green leafy buds growing ever fatter on the trees and shrubs. Brave little splashes of color popping up from the Earth, promising a return to long warm days and lovely cool nights.

Of honey bees and butterflies and tidy little gardens – and New Life returning once again.

But Spring must first do its thing.

So those lovely new petals and blossoms will have good days bathed in warm sunshine, and then brutal days of raw wind and icy cold.

Some just can’t handle Nature’s Mood Swings and are soon beaten down and die. But others rise up from their droop when the cold retreats and somehow they regain their zest for life.

And keep our Summer dreams alive.

Gradually, ever so slowly, Spring transforms into Summer – always my favorite season.

T-shirts, shorts, sandals. The casual-dress season. Maybe it gets hot, but there’s always a dip in the local pool or beach, or at least the refuge of an air-conditioned space for those past their swimming stage of Life.

And if it doesn’t get too hot, we get to sleep with an open window -- enjoying the cool night breezes and the sound of a million insects humming us to sleep.

Those long Summer days – to me – are the very essence of Life. When nearly every day we can play in the Great Outdoors: Take a hike in the hills. Have a picnic at the beach. Or just sit under a shade tree and feel the presence of God all around.

The Summer fairs and festivals. Fourth of July parades. Campouts under the stars. Kids playing in the park while Dad burns some burgers on the grill.

Yes, The Good Old Summertime.

But all too soon, it’s back to school again, as Summer days slowly give way to Fall’s crisp night air and harvested gardens are buttoned down for another Winter.

I DO love Fall, but it IS a bittersweet time for most folks living above a certain latitude.

I used to get depressed as I watched another Fall slip away, but not anymore.

Not being a big Winter Person, I never looked forward to that first snow. But when it arrives now, I see how beautifully it can decorate The World.

And I understand how Winter's snow is feeding the Earth, readying it for another Spring.

And if we’re fortunate, we get to do it all over again.